Happiness after the Storm
by aries03
Summary: Post Ark of Truth. Sam finds a little happiness after the battle with the Ori and shares it with an old friend. Sam/Jack friendship Sam/Cam relationship. Quick one-shot


Summary: Okay, so I am a huge Jack/Sam shipper, and my other stories definitely reflect that, but after watching the Ark of Truth again, I realized that if Sam wasn't going to get together with Jack anytime soon, there was only one other person I could ever imagine her to get with. A quick one-shot showing the alternative.

...

She glanced over at the figure lying next to her. He looked so peaceful lying there, as peaceful as she had seen him in over two years. She couldn't help but giggle at the fact that it had started over a bag of home-baked macaroons. He claimed that he had savored each one a little extra just for the fact that she had made them for him. That ever so innocent kiss on the cheek had been the slightest movement that tipped their relationship over the edge. After that moment, they both found themselves falling fast. He had the most magnificent blue eyes...deep pools that matched her own. He had the heart of a true survivor, and he had definitely earned her respect. He reminded her of someone else she knew and cherished.

Softly, slowly, she slipped out of bed as to not disturb him. With her robe securely tied around her waist, she made her way down the hall, closing the door behind her. Only when she knew she was out of earshot from the sleeping figure in the other room did she pull out her cellphone. It was still pretty early, but she knew that he'd be up.

"He-llo."

"Hey, Jack."

"Sam! Great to hear from you. Good to know that you've finally lost the 'sir.'"

"Well, you know, old habits are hard to break."

"So to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I've starting seeing someone."

She knew he would be shocked. She hadn't been on a date since she broke things off with Pete.

"You are one of my closest friends. I just wanted you to know."

She heard a muffled noise coming from the other line. Was he _laughing_ at her?

"It's Mitchell, isn't it?"

"Wh..how.."

"Oh, come on, Carter. It's obvious, isn't it? He's the younger version of me minus all the dark, black ops stuff."

She thought back to a conversation she had with Jack over two years ago, right after he left the SGC.

_"Jack, do you think there would be any future for us if we actually pursued a relationship after all these years?"_

_"Honestly?"_

_"Honestly."_

_"I don't even think there would have been a future for us had we not waited all these years. Don't get me wrong, Carter. You are definitely a catch by any man's standards. I'm no exception..."_

_"But..."_

_"But I'm sixteen years your senior. Heck, add just a couple of years to that, and I would be old enough to be your father. Let's face it. I'm looking at retirement. You are at the stage in life where you want to finally settle down and have a family. I've been there, done that, don't want to do it again. Not to mention the slight fact that outside of our careers, we really don't have that much in common. You love science and doing things science related, and I...well, I just don't."_

_"Yeah, I thought you'd feel that way."_

_"Hey, it's nothing against you, Carter. I will always love you dearly, just as someone with whom I highly respect and as an eternal friend."_

She knew that he had been right. There was no way that a relationship between them would have gotten very far. Age alone was a huge determining factor. Sixteen years was a lot of time.

"Look, Carter. Mitchell is a good kid. He's definitely one hell of a soldier. Plus..."

"Plus, what?"

"Plus, how cute is that...Cam and Sam."

She couldn't help but laugh out loud. She didn't realize quite how loud she was laughing until she heard a voice calling out from the bedroom.

"He's there with you, isn't he?"

"Um..."

"Go back to bed, Carter. Have yourself a little fun. Tell Mitchell I say hello."

She felt a pair of muscular arms sneak around her as she closed her phone.

"And who was that, may I ask?"

"Jack."

He had begun kissing the soft spot where her neck met her collarbone.

"And what did the good General have to say?"

"He gave his thumbs up for me dating you."

"He did, did he?"

By now, his soft kisses were leaving her speechless. He could feel her pulse and breath quicken.

"Why don't you come back to bed for a little while?"

She didn't speak; she just nodded. She couldn't believe how happy she had become. The world was free, at least at the moment, of any huge enemy since the fall of the Ori. The planet seemed all that much more secure, and now, here she was, in the arms of someone she had gone completely mad over. As he gently led her back to bed, she couldn't imagine it getting any better than this.

the end.


End file.
